As we enter the endemic phase, many of our pandemic-born habits will start to shift again. However, one interest I personally have adopted during the MCOs that I don’t think will be lifted is coffee.
I watched a lot of “home cafe” and “homerista” content over the past year that made me curious about grinding my own beans and brewing my own coffee. So, I purchased a grinder and my first bag of roasted coffee beans, and my palette has been forever changed.
If you’ve been thinking of doing the same but are unsure of where to even start, here is a non-exhaustive list of sites and brands in Malaysia that sell coffee beans (and sometimes equipment) online.
1. Dankoff Coffee Specialist
Founded in 2005, Dankoff is a brand that specialises in all things gourmet coffee (and tea, but that’s for another list). According to its website, Dankoff serves more than 2,500 business in Malaysia, providing for the hotel, restaurant, and cafe sectors. Of course, it serves end consumers too.
It carries recognisable brands such as Lavazza, Santino Coffee, and more. On top of roasted whole beans, grounds, as well as capsules, Dankoff also sells a range of coffee equipment for the homerista, from hand grinders and drippers to cups and glassware.
Its best-selling roasted whole coffee bean is a 1kg bag of Lavazza’s Gran Espresso Beans. The RM109 product features notes of dark chocolate and spices.
Shipping time: 5 to 7 working days.
Ships from: Selangor.
Where to buy: Website, Shopee, Lazada.
2. Ghostbird Coffee Company
This specialty coffee roasting company sells espresso blends, single-origin beans, as well as drip bag coffees. Drip bags are ideal for those who want something convenient but more effortful than instant coffee.
If you’re looking for a blend, the bestseller is the full-bodied Milkyway Espresso Blend, which features a chocolate aroma, dark chocolate sweetness, and hazelnut finish.
A special type of bean available at Ghostbird is the Sabah Ranau. This single-origin bean is sourced from the foothills of Mount Kinabalu, Sabah. The tasting notes for the Sabah Ranau coffee include that of tropical fruit, very much fitting for its Malaysian origin. All three products are RM55 for 250g.
Delivery time: 3 working days for West Malaysia, 5 to7 working days for East Malaysia. Same-day delivery is available for purchases over RM100 within the Klang Valley and Selangor area.
Ships from: Kuala Lumpur.
Where to buy: Website, Shopee, Lazada.
3. Kinabalu Peak
Kinabalu Peak is a local distributor of manual espresso machines and accessories. Its site mostly has coffee equipment, but its coffee beans are available on Shopee.
Its best-seller is a medium roast espresso bean. While the origin of the beans is not clarified, what makes this product unique is that it has been hand-roasted over charcoal.
According to Kinabalu Peak, charcoal roasting allows beans to be roasted uniformly and have better expansion. Each 250g of medium roast beans from Kinabalu Peak is RM35.90.
Delivery time: 2 to 7 days, according to Shopee.
Ships from: Pahang.
4. Perk Coffee
Perk Coffee was started by two founders, Paul and Serena, who have a fascinating story. Both spent some time living in Kenya, with Serena having grown up there and Paul having moved there from Australia to become a farmer. They then moved to Hawaii before finally settling in Singapore.
As it has a branch in Malaysia, Perk roasts its coffee twice a week locally, claiming to send its beans within 48 hours of roasting to ensure freshness. The founders’ connection to Kenya and Hawaii brings fresh and high-quality coffee beans that are ethically produced.
Perk sells whole beans, ground coffee, drip bags, as well as capsules compatible with Nespresso and Dolce Gusto. For a one-time purchase of a 250g bag of its Brazil Cerrado single-origin bean, it costs RM57.
Delivery time: 7 working days.
Ships from: Selangor.
Where to buy: Website, Shopee, Lazada.
5. Big Three Academy
Big Three Academy is a professional training centre as well as a cafe in Malaysia. The founder, Low Shiann Yuann, was the first Malaysian who qualified as a Q Arabica and Q Robusta Grader from the Coffee Quality Institute in the US.
Its best-selling product on Shopee is its dark roast beans, which cost RM36 for 500g. It features nutty, caramelly, and smoky notes.
Delivery time: 2 to 13 days, according to Shopee.
Ships from: Selangor.
6. HisBrew Coffee
Based in Kota Kemuning, HisBrew is a coffee roastery that aims to provide quality and affordable coffee. The business was founded by brothers Josh and John. Both had careers that were not coffee-adjacent, with Josh being a mechanical engineer and data analyst, and John having dabbled in IT before they both started HisBrew Coffee.
On its Shopee site, the most popular product is the Genesis Blend, named after the fact that it was the business’ first blend. The medium to dark roast coffee has notes of caramel and chocolate. A 200g bag of the blend is RM27.
Delivery time: 2 to 12 days, according to Shopee.
Ships from: Selangor.
Where to buy: Website, Shopee, Lazada.
7. Buna Market
Buna Market is an online marketplace that curates coffee-related products. It carries global brands selling coffee equipment such as Hario, Chemex, and Aeropress, but it also carries local coffee roasters.
Some local roasters on Buna Market include 103 Coffee Workshop, 2f+ Coffee Roastery, Soon Specialty Coffee, Toothless Coffee, and many more.
All coffee beans sold by local and international coffee roasters are prepared and fulfilled directly from individual roasteries, respectively.
Delivery time: 7 to 14 days.
Ships from: Depends on the seller.
Where to buy: Website.
8. Wellscafe
First founded in Taiwan in 2013, Wellscafe has expanded to Penang. The cafe and micro-roastery has a well-defined approach to roasting, brewing, and sustainable sourcing.
According to its website, Wesllcafe specialises in light roasting with two distinctive styles: traditional Japanese and modern Nordic. The traditional Japanese roasting style brings out sweetness while the modern Nordic emphasises on aroma and interesting flavours such as floral or fruity notes.
Some unique products they carry include the seasonal espresso blend such as Forest Berries and Jaguar Blend. The former has notes of mixed berries, wine, and dark chocolate, whereas the latter features berries, citrus, chocolate, and black tea. The normal price for a 500g bag is RM55.
Delivery time: N/A.
Ships from: Penang.
Where to buy: Website.
9. What’s On Tap
Located in Mont Kiara, What’s On Tap is a cafe and specialty coffee store established in 2019. According to its website, What’s On Tap seeks to provide a “completely sensory experience” to visitors of its location, but its online store works just fine too.
A 100g bag of the WOT House Blend is RM35. With floral and fruity notes, it’s a light roast featuring beans from Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, and Rwanda.
The store also sells drip bags of its house blend as well as single-origin coffee.
Delivery time: 3 to 14 working days.
Ships from: Kuala Lumpur.
Where to buy: Website.
10. Vamos Coffee Roastery
Based in Johor, Vamos Coffee Roastery was established in 2014. One of its signature blends is the eponymous Vamos Blend which features coffee from Guatemala and Columbia. A 250g bag of whole beans costs RM45.
On top of coffee beans and drip coffee, Vamos Coffee Roastery also features ready-to-drink coffees, which include light and nitro cold brews.
Delivery time: 3 working days for West Malaysia, 5-7 working days for East Malaysia.
Ships from: Johor.
Where to buy: Website, Shopee.
11. Forest Cloud Beverage Company
Forest Cloud Beverage Company is located in Penang and sources its raw ingredients from farms and regions across the world. According to its website, the team has 10 years of experience in the cafe industry have worked with many cafes since the rise of third-wave coffee.
At Forest Cloud, the beans are roasted on the FROCO FR15-I, which is a machine that provides plenty of information on the temperature, beans, drum, and airflow, among other details. This allows for the roaster to monitor the process closely and ensure consistency.
One of the mainstays at Forest Cloud is Blue Moon, a blend of Brazilian and Colombian beans that has a fruity aroma. A 100g pack of whole beans goes for RM27.
Delivery time: N/A.
Ships from: Penang.
Where to buy: Website, Shopee, Lazada.
12. Drum Coffee Roaster
The founder of this Kelantan-based roastery initially just wanted to cut costs on coffee beans for her own cafe. But she noticed that there was demand for coffee beans, and now supplies to 30 cafes around the area.
Its best-selling product on Shopee is the Bragua coffee beans, which is a medium-dark roast. As a blend of coffee from Brazil and Guatemala, it carries notes of dark cherry, nuts, hints of caramel, and chocolate. A 150g bag is RM24.50.
Drum Coffee Roaster also features a Malayan Blend containing beans from Guatamala and Kenya. A 150g of this coffee that has notes of nuts and red berries is RM31.50.
Delivery time: 2 to 8 days, according to Shopee.
Ships from: Kelantan.
Where to buy: Shopee.
- Read other articles we’ve written about coffee here.
Featured Image Credit: Forest Cloud Beverage Company / Ghostbird Coffee Company / Perk Coffee
